Islamic Terrorism
- Thread starter TUMe
- Start date
Sigh...Isis is not representative of all of Islam. But, of course, if the President would say the magic words, it would all go away?
Terrorism has a long and disputed history.
Terrorism has a long and disputed history.
Chaos and fear? I think as far as ISIS is concerned, they ostensibly want Europe to stop opposing them in Syria/Iraq. I think it is either:
a) They are seriously misguided and think that by killing a few dozen civilians every few months in Europe that the EU and the US will somehow decide to leave them alone rather than double down on rooting them out.
b) It is more of a marketing campaign of sorts. The idea is that they don't really want Europe and the US to leave them alone in the ME, as their whole organization thrives on the conflict, and they rely on anti-Islamic sentiments from the West to motivate it. So they do this kind of crap, which honestly doesn't do much to disrupt our way of life, but it does rally the troops back in Syria. It has the added bonus of creating an anti-Islamic backlash among the general population, which ISIS then uses to further recruit soldiers by saying, "See? We told you that they hate Islam. Come fight for us, they will never accept you in their culture".
I hem and haw as to which is correct. Right now I am leaning towards b), but ask me again next week. Sometimes I feel like they are just crazy and stupid, which points to something closer to a)...
A second note, since you point out you really aren't referencing ISIS specifically. In that case, I have no idea. The radical wing of Islam has been fighting the powers that be in their own countries and in the west for decades, if not centuries. I don't have any idea what a "victory" looks like to them, other than worldwide violence and anarchy. <Edit>They're</Edit> essentially some sort of bizarre sect of theistic nihilists.
Thanks, WATU! Any Wikipedia article with a picture of Ignacy Hryniewiecki is better than the stuff you usually post.
Ignacy Hryniewiecki
terrorist who assassinated Tsar Alexander II of Russia
Ignacy Hryniewiecki
terrorist who assassinated Tsar Alexander II of Russia
I specifically didn't specify ISIS because I was speaking of the radical arm of Islam in general. I also included several Islamic countries in those which have been targets of bombings and mass shootings by numerous terrorist because I wished to expand the reasoning beyond a general hate for the West of using anti-Islamic feeling to stir up recruitment. These guys seem fairly indifferent about their targets as far as western countries or Islamic based countries and people.
I have no idea what their endgame is. Terrorism of the sort they're attempting now isn't going to wipe out Christianity along with Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism etc... Even if a country like Iran got their hands on a nuke or two, if they used it their country would be dead in the water simply because of the alliances that the world's superpowers have. They might control the middle east region and some of North Africa, but it's hard to see a viable scenario where they could expand the 'caliphate' beyond that.
Not sure what you're getting at exactly, but there are obviously terrorists from every group. One just has a large movement that preaches it.
ISIS statement about the Brussels bombings:
"Every Muslim who is well aware of the history of Islam, knows that the holy war against infidels is an integral part of Islam, and those who read history would know."
This is all about Islam, misplaced interpretation or not.
"Every Muslim who is well aware of the history of Islam, knows that the holy war against infidels is an integral part of Islam, and those who read history would know."
This is all about Islam, misplaced interpretation or not.
I can't fault Islam the religion, it's a butchered, sick view of Islam that incorporates what these young men are doing. The vast majority of Muslims are sickened at their core over these jihadists, hell, the overwhelming majority of the victims of these terrorists are Muslim.
Last edited:
Isn't it more "about" Isis trying to goad us into making it about Islam to justify it's actions. make itself look larger, and recruit? Isis is not even a measurable percent of the totality of islam.
My apologies. I thought Isis took credit for murdering people in Belgium, Paris, Syria...Sigh......the word "ISIS" didn't appear in my post nor was it referenced.
There are terrorists from every group, correct. In fact, there is a pretty violent and well-organized Hindu terrorist movement that nobody talks about much, probably because they stick around India and don't try to destabilize other nations:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_attacks_on_Christians_in_southern_Karnataka
But while other religions and ideologies have had brutal eras in their history, I have to agree with the original poster that no other major religion or group has had an element within it that has been so historically persistent, so willing to export violence to areas outside their local spheres, and so well-organized as radical Islam. These two statements are not contradictory:
1) The vast majority of Muslims are not terrorists. In fact, most victims of radical Islam are themselves Muslim.
2) Islam as an organized religion has a serious and historical problem with terrorism and violence.
The question was not "Is it Muslims or Christians or Buddhists that attacked Brussels", but "What do these terrorists expect to gain by blowing people up in train stations across the world? What's the point?" And that's the big question, because I don't think it's easily answered. It's very hard to stop an enemy when they are so willing to die for their cause. There is a reason the Kamikaze pilots in the Pacific were so feared. At least in war you can understand the motive, but it is very hard to accept that people are blowing themselves up just because they want to sow discord.
From the time I spent in the region, the best answer I can give is global war and Armageddon. Many believe in the coming of the Mahdi. Like many Christians believe in the rapture and the tribulation many of the radical Islamist believe that the chaos will hasten the return of the 13th imam and usher in paradise on earth where the Jew and the Christians are their slaves.
If they can peck away at us enough, perhaps they can get us in a fight with a nuclear Iran and hasten the end of days...
Probably numerous individual reasons. To make a statement about the forces that oppress them, to instill fear, or to inflict the same kind of pain they or their families feel in the only way that is open to them. Russian bomb throwing anarchists had little hope of overwhelming the Russian state but they threw the bombs anyway. Buddhist priests set themselves on fire in VN and China to make statements.
When the US invaded Iraq there were numerous warnings about the effect the invasion would have in the streets and souks of the Middle East. The US would be demonstrating it was in fact the great Satan. No nukes, no credible threat, Abu Graihib, etc. etc. Blame whoever you want, but there could be a ton or reasons for someone in the Middle East to pick from, especially if life there offered few positive alternatives.
Lol someone's been watching too much House of Cards. Iraq was in the process of radicalizing prior to the war, as was the entire Middle East, including Saddam's bathists that are now major players within ISIS.
BTW, believing to be or being an oppressed minority seems to be a key contributor to terrorism. Myanmar Buddhists may be next, or Sri Lanka too. Then there was Japan 20 years ago.
....but Muslims aren't in the minority in the areas where most of these terrorist acts take place?
It's really funny that people blame the gulf war for this stuff... I had Arab classmates telling me that jihad was coming in 1988....
